On Monday, April 14, 2025, a fugitive from El Salvador was convicted in the 2023 murder of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mom of five from Maryland. Victor Martinez-Hernandez was accused of carrying out a premeditated attack on Rachel Morin while she was running along a popular hiking trail near Baltimore. The 24-year-old assailant is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador and was found guilty of all charges brought against him. He faces life in a United States prison.
Rachel Morin’s Murder
On August 5, 2023, Victor Martinez-Hernandez grabbed Rachel Morin off a hiking trail as she was running, bashed her head against rocks before raping her, and hid her body in a drainage culvert. Morin’s family became concerned when she stopped responding to texts or phone calls. They reported her missing that same evening. Authorities later found her Apple Watch and phone smashed near where her body was found.
According to authorities, Morin was consistent with her daily routine and was on the hiking trail nearly every day, predominantly in the evenings. It is believed that Martinez-Hernandez hid in a drainage culvert, waiting for Morin to pass by on her daily run or walk. The prosecution does not believe this to be a random attack.
Arrest and Evidence
In the summer of 2024, after a 10-month-long manhunt, Martinez-Hernandez was arrested in Oklahoma, where he was hiding out. Authorities were able to determine he was previously residing in Bel Air at the time of Rachel Morin’s death. Detectives collected several DNA samples from Rachel Morin’s body and linked them to Martinez-Hernandez, deeming him a suspect. After detectives interviewed his relatives and collected further DNA from his socks, they confirmed he was, in fact, the man responsible for this heinous crime.
Martinez-Hernandez was accused of fleeing his home country after murdering a woman and entering the United States illegally. In the murder of Rachel Morin, the prosecution had a solid case against the illegal immigrant since there was DNA evidence linking him to the scene of the crime. Authorities were also able to link him to a separate crime, a home invasion, in Los Angeles in 2023.
The illegal immigrant’s defense attorneys argued the murder was a random incident, and not planned. They insinuated that the police arrested the wrong man. After all the facts of the case were presented, the defense asked the jurors to keep in mind that no motive was proven. They also asserted there were a lot of unanswered questions. However, DNA evidence is enough to convict someone beyond a reasonable doubt, especially when it is found all over the victim’s body.
Final Thoughts
This disgusting act of violence caused an uproar across the suburban community outside of Baltimore. Rachel Morin leaves behind five children, who do not deserve to experience such a tragedy. The Harford County State’s Attorney said, “This case shook our Harford County community and robbed a family of their daughter, sister, mother, and friend.”
Victor Martinez-Hernandez was charged and found guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, third-degree sex offense, and kidnapping. The jury took less than an hour to return with a guilty verdict for the 24-year-old. Following the jury’s verdict, Randolph Rice, an attorney representing Morin’s relatives, stated, “The Morin family is incredibly relieved that justice was served today.” The prosecution is pushing for life in prison without parole and additional life sentences for the rape charges.
